Former wrestler Bret Hart pushes cancer checks for men 1 year after his treatment

Bret'The Hitman' Hart says early detection was hispartner in fighting prostate cancer and now after finally being given the all-clear by doctors he's urging men in Calgary to get checked.

"I got the word back last week that I'm zero, undetectable, I'm 100 per cent," said Hart on CBC Radio's the Calgary Eyeopener on Monday.

"My doctor said I'm a walking miracle, he said I've had a better recovery than most men have and I feel like I'm ready to take on the world."

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in men.

Hart says it was a tough surgery but he had lots of good people in his corner, including the Calgary Prostate Cancer Centre.

Cancer runs in the family

He's won his own fight, but says the disease continues to cast a shadow over his famous fighting family.

His fatherStu Hart had the disease in his 80s. Now his brother, Smith Hart, also has prostate cancer. Because he didn't get tested, helost the advantage of an early diagnosis.

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"He now has full-blown cancer after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. It's spread through to his hip bones and it's spread to his femur. He won't likely make it past the next year."

"He is the perfect example of someone who needed to get checked. He just needed to get his blood work done, needed to get his PSA level checked."

Early detection

Hart says the cancer can be beaten but men need to take the first steps against it and take them early.

He says he was luckyand early detection ultimately saved his life.

"All we really need is an effort by men to go get their PSA tests," he said.

The PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, test measures inflammation.Screening aims to find cancer before symptoms appear and reduce the chance of death with early treatment.

Hart is encouraging men in Calgary to attend aspecial Bret Hart Men's Health Day at the Calgary Prostate Cancer Centre on Feb.10,which is providing free PSA blood tests, blood pressure, BMI and blood-glucose tests.

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With files from the Calgary Eyeopener